Scandal teaches (again) to think twice before hitting 'send'

Christie aides get harsh reminder

Jan. 11, 2014

David Wildstein walks from a hearing Thursday at the Statehouse in Trenton, N.J. Wildstein, a former appointee of Gov. Chris Christie, is refusing to answer questions from a legislative committee looking into a scandal involving punitive traffic lane closures revealed in emails and text messages. / Mel Evans/AP

Written by

Elizabeth Ganga

When emails became public this week linking top aides of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to the Bridgegate scandal, it was a stark reminder of one of the first rules of political handlers: electronic communications live forever, just waiting to be exposed.

So, think twice before hitting the send button.

“If you’re going to be involved in a scandal, definitely don’t send an email,” said Hank Sheinkopf, who runs a strategic communication firm in New York.

Although plenty of politicians still get in trouble through old-fashioned means like wire taps and government documents, the Internet and social media have multiplied the ways for dodgy behavior to come to light.

“Before the Internet, it was a different world,” said Sheinkopf said. “Deniability was much easier.”

“Now, nobody has to work very hard; it’s right there.”

Christie fired his deputy chief of staff and held a contrite news conference Thursday after news broke that emails provided evidence of a plot among his associates to block access roads heading to the George Washington Bridge. One of the most damning emails said: “Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee.”

While former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner — caught sending racy text messages to several women — may be the most spectacular example of social media self-immolation, there are plenty of cases closer to home.

• In 2009, three Harrison, N.Y.,• police officers were suspended and later demoted after making comments about the town supervisor and sharing racist jokes.

• Emails show Putnam (N.Y.) District Attorney Adam Levy, the son of TV Judge Judy Sheindlin, involving himself in the defense of his friend and former trainer, Alexandru Hossu, against child rape charges. Levy had recused himself from the case and turned it over to the Westchester district attorney. But he paid for his friend’s attorney and sent the attorney emails with advice on strategy and apparent leaks about grand jury proceedings. Several officials have called for Levy’s resignation. Levy has hired Sheinkopf’s firm in an effort to improve his image.

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Bill O’Reilly, a campaign strategist and communications specialist, said he tells his clients emails could always become public.

His line, he said, is “Always assume that your emails will one day end up on the cover of The New York Times.”

Then, if you’re caught, experts say, lying only digs you in deeper.

“Chris Christie did exactly what he needed to do,” O’Reilly said. “It was a textbook crisis communications effort: He took responsibility; announced measures to deal with it — aka, he fired people — and he expressed genuine contrition. In 24 hours, this may have crossed from a potentially career ending liability to an actual political benefit.”

Apps: The illusion of online privacy

Digital communication can feel more private, more evanescent, than printed messages, but that isn’t true. Servers and cellphone companies store messages, leaks and hacks happen and public-records laws mandate certain disclosures of government business.

In social media, where older platforms like Facebook become less private, more corporate and, well, simply older, people are moving to new online platforms that promise your messages will disappear shortly after they’re received. Called “ephemeral” social, it’s one of the trends to watch in 2014.

Here’s a look at the privacy of various social media platforms, with the caveat that even a post marked private has a way of getting around as a screenshot, email or otherwise:

SNAPCHAT: Though this platform was built on the idea that all messages and photos sent are deleted within seconds of being received, and it’s why teens hiding things from their parents and adults wanting privacy from bosses and future employers use it, that’s not always the case (Google “Snapchat nudes,” if you dare, to see what we’re talking about here). If you use it or are thinking of joining, pay special attention to Snapchat’s privacy policy to see what’s being collected, even temporarily, and to learn about the new Replay feature. Even Snapchat warns: “You should not use Snapchat to send messages if you want to be certain that the recipient cannot keep a copy.”

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KIK MESSENGER: Kik is similar to SMS texting, but it’s through a smartphone app. The other key difference is Kik users share their names, not phone numbers, to exchange messages. In December, the company announced it has more than 100 million registered users, triple that of a year ago, and says most of its growth is due to teenagers. Users also can play games, draw and share music.

WHATSAPP: Similar to Kik, WhatsApp is a smartphone alternative to SMS. Users can send messages, pictures, audio and video.

FACEBOOK: Users can mark individual posts or entire profiles as private. Facebook requires you use your real name and can suspend your account if you don’t. Your gender, profile photo and cover photo are public; if you don’t want people to see them, don’t add them. If you post something and then delete it, Facebook still may store it on its servers. And you may show up in a Google or Bing search for your name unless you adjust your privacy settings. Facebook also uses facial recognition to identify you in your friends’ photos.

TWITTER: Tweets can be marked public or private, but it’s one setting for all tweets (though you can change the setting at any time). If you mark them private you must manually approve each person you want to see them, and no one can share (retweet) them on Twitter. You can use a pseudonym instead of your real name.

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INSTAGRAM: Photos and videos can be marked public or private. If you’ve marked them “private,” only people you’ve approved as followers can see them. Instagram has a new privacy policy that takes effect Jan. 19, though, so watch for changes due to its acquisition by Facebook. You can use a pseudonym instead of your real name. Recently the company introduced Instagram Direct, a way to send photos or videos directly to your followers without the image appearing in the public feed. Probably a response to Snapchat’s growing popularity, Instagram refers to the update as “a means of visual communication.”

TUMBLR: All sharing here is public by default but you can change your blog’s settings to private. This platform was built on the idea of sharing (“tumbling” or “reblogging”) what others post, however, so you should not assume anything will stay private. You can use a pseudonym instead of your real name.

If you’re using any of these platforms on your smartphone, check your privacy settings to see what information the app is collecting and using. You may not realize some are accessing your contact list or tracking your location.